Play-off ambition

RUGBY LEAGUE:

SADDLEWORTH Rangers kept alive their chances of a top-six play-off place in the Premier Division by winning 35-12 at lowly York Acorn.

Grant Bithell’s try was converted by Michael Coates early on and Adam Jeffrey followed that up with a try in the corner.

Tim Elliott’s try and a Jon Liddell conversion brought Acorn back into the contest.

But Coates then kicked downfield for Danny Attersall to score, Coates’ conversion making it 16-6 at half-time.

Coates dropped a goal before adding the extras to a Jimmy Rogers score, before Matt Bottom also crashed home.

Tom Hill’s try and Liddell’s conversion reduced the deficit for the York side.

But Gareth Morgan’s touchdown and a Coates goal helped to all but confirm Rangers’ presence in the top flight next season, while also leaving them one point off sixth with three games left.



WATERHEAD were thrashed 60-2 at Castleford Lock Lane to slip into a re-election berth in Division Two.

It wasn’t as one-sided a contest as the score suggests and Garry Highton’s men were well in the game at one stage shortly before half-time.

The score was then 10-2 in favour of promotion-chasing Lock Lane.

But a flurry of points followed to leave Waterhead licking their wounds and needing at least one win from their final two games to climb out of trouble.

Highton’s men actually opened the scoring thanks to the boot of Terry Fitzgerald.

Lock Lane hit back with tries from Ben Mawson and Simon Hayward, Wayne Hardy adding a goal.

Gaps then suddenly appeared and Jon Walton (two) and Tom Wood crossed for a 26-2 half-time advantage.

Craig Duncan (two), Aaron Duncan, Darren Holmes, Mawson and Mark Sears added further scores, with Walton and Hardy ending the game bagging four goals each.